What exactly is Ukraine trying to defend?

[Jersey Girl]

Omg I'm just watching a video about it. I time stamped it for you. These can be launched from 1K miles away.

https://youtu.be/U-heJ9tnh30?t=171

Thanks for sharing that. Very interesting.

Well it was brief at that point but I thought it gave some details I hadn't heard before. Anyway, I'm guessing that ground troops are compromised, that same video said there's been no troop movement in several days, so maybe their literally taking their best shot from afar.

[honorentheos]

Thanks for sharing that. Very interesting.

Well it was brief at that point but I thought it gave some details I hadn't heard before. Anyway, I'm guessing that ground troops are compromised, that same video said there's been no troop movement in several days, so maybe their literally taking their best shot from afar.

I read a report saying Russian commitment to taking Mariupol has absorbed so much of the Russias military resources that it seems they are fighting to take it as a morale boost but then will be obligated to pause the war. That said, a pause would probably be in their interest while I don't get the impression the Ukrainian military will accept it. I'd expect they would recognize the weakness and seek to push the Russians out as they are working on doing in Kharkiv.

[Father Francis]

Or, if there is any chance the conflict could somehow result in DT dying, it needs to end, full stop. Nuclear war? Scary because DT might die.

A nuclear world war is very unlikely.

Wasn't too long ago that people thought the invasion of Ukraine was unlikely. I wouldn't dare guess what Putin is unwilling to do. The longer this goes on, the more desperate he is. His actions have been against the best interests of the Russian people and based on lies. The man is intelligent, unhinged and evil.

[Gadianton]

I don't believe that Russia used a hypersonic missile because I haven't read anything to indicate they are accurate enough to pinpoint a weapons depot. The use case for nuclear is best because they don't need to be accurate. I doubt they are cheap to make, and so they can't possibly be practical to use against buildings with conventional warheads, even if they are accurate. As a lie, it would be propaganda to evoke fears. If it's really true, then it's probably a one-off to test something they don't get to use every day.

[honorentheos]

I don't believe that Russia used a hypersonic missile because I haven't read anything to indicate they are accurate enough to pinpoint a weapons depot. The use case for nuclear is best because they don't need to be accurate. I doubt they are cheap to make, and so they can't possibly be practical to use against buildings with conventional warheads, even if they are accurate. As a lie, it would be propaganda to evoke fears. If it's really true, then it's probably a one-off to test something they don't get to use every day.

https://www.cnn.com/videos/world/2022/0 ... -conflict/

The view seems to be that it was legit a hypersonic missile. The reporting in the video at the link says the US tracked it in real time.

[Vēritās]

The best way to defend against hypersonic missiles is to use lasers. The military is developing a laser defense system that can be transported on ships, and to destroy missiles it would require a 500kw laser. In 2014 it developed a 30kw laser, and then in 2017 they doubled that to 60kw. You'd think it would take decades to produce something closer to 500kw, but in fact last year Lockheed demonstrated a laser of 300kw capacity.

https://optics.org/news/13/9/28

This is huge folks. If we can use lasers to defend against hypersonic missiles, then that means we have the potential to defend against nuclear ballistic missiles as well. Just shoot them while they're in space before their warheads break away.

[Gunnar]

I don't believe that Russia used a hypersonic missile because I haven't read anything to indicate they are accurate enough to pinpoint a weapons depot. The use case for nuclear is best because they don't need to be accurate. I doubt they are cheap to make, and so they can't possibly be practical to use against buildings with conventional warheads, even if they are accurate. As a lie, it would be propaganda to evoke fears. If it's really true, then it's probably a one-off to test something they don't get to use every day.

https://www.cnn.com/videos/world/2022/0 ... -conflict/

The view seems to be that it was legit a hypersonic missile. The reporting in the video at the link says the US tracked it in real time.

One of the big drawbacks to hypersonic cruise missiles is that they are at least tens to hundreds of times more expensive that ordinary cruise missiles with similar or even greater range and destructive power. It costs less to send tens to hundreds of ordinary cruise missiles at a target than to send a single hypersonic missile. The probability of stopping 100% of such a swarm of cruise missiles sent at a target is very small. Only one or two of that swarm has to get through to get the job done in a lot of cases.

[Gunnar]

The best way to defend against hypersonic missiles is to use lasers. The military is developing a laser defense system that can be transported on ships, and to destroy missiles it would require a 500kw laser. In 2014 it developed a 30kw laser, and then in 2017 they doubled that to 60kw. You'd think it would take decades to produce something closer to 500kw, but in fact last year Lockheed demonstrated a laser of 300kw capacity.

https://optics.org/news/13/9/28

This is huge folks. If we can use lasers to defend against hypersonic missiles, then that means we have the potential to defend against nuclear ballistic missiles as well. Just shoot them while they're in space before their warheads break away.

Yes, that is huge. Development of of a reliable laser system of that power would render the nuclear ICBM forces of, at least, smaller rogue states like Korea almost totally impotent. Let's just hope that no nations manage or decide to deploy lasers of that power in orbit where they can be directed downwards at strategic ground targets and population centers. Apparently, though, idiots like MTG believe that sinister Jews, funded by the Rothschild family have already deployed them.

See also: The Hypersonic Missile Vulnerability That NO ONE Talks About

Hypersonic missiles are often claimed to be unstoppable, but those claims are misleading in practice. Moreover, it could take decades if ever to polish the scramjet technology that is poised to make hypersonic missile viable.